CYANOTYPE WORKSHOP

Come join PhotoSC and USC’s School of Visual Art & Design (SVAD) for a workshop on World Cyanotype Day on Saturday,September 26 at 10:00 a.m. in the photo darkrooms (Room 213) in USC’s McMaster College, 1615 Senate Street, Columbia, SC 29208.

Photographer Brett Schenning will lead this workshop in the cyanotype process, exploring the chemistry, paper preparation, and exposure techniques, making it accessible for anyone interested in exploring this historic photographic process.

As a photography educator and darkroom instructor, Brett has extensive experience teaching traditional and alternative photographic processes. His work emphasizes hands-on learning, creative exploration, and the preservation of historic photographic techniques. Through workshops and classroom instruction, he helps students develop both technical skills and artistic confidence while exploring the rich history of photography.

This hands-on workshop introduces participants to the historic cyanotype process, one of the earliest photographic printing techniques developed in 1842 by Sir John Herschel. Known for its distinctive Prussian blue images, cyanotype photography combines science, art, and photography in an accessible and engaging format. 

In this one-day workshop (10 am – 2 pm), participants will learn the history of cyanotypes, prepare light-sensitive materials, create photograms and contact prints, expose their prints using ultraviolet light or sunlight, and process their finished works. No previous photography experience is required. By the end of the workshop, each participant will leave with a collection of original cyanotype prints and the knowledge necessary to continue exploring this alternative photographic process independently.